


All the good deeds

by byzinha



Series: 50 drabbles in 50 days [12]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 20:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3582861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byzinha/pseuds/byzinha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>or the one where Jim finds out that there are two baby criminals living with Barbara.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All the good deeds

When Jim Gordon knocked at Barbara Kean's door that night willing to figure out what happened to them, his mind was a blur. He had no idea at what moment he decided to go there nor how long his feet took to get where they were.

He kept telling himself that it wasn't because the things with Leslie were falling apart, but that was a lie to himself. He liked Leslie, but still wasn't sure if he  _loved_  her. And only Barbara could give him the answer.

"Jim?" he heard her before he saw her and had to blink a few times to put her surprise expression in focus. She had a glass of wine in her right hand.

"Hi." He replied. Now that she really opened the door for him, he didn't know what to do.

"It's past midnight." Barbara stated, clearly confused by his presence and he made a face.

"I think we need to talk." Jim said, his voice low. He realized that he was talking low because that's how she was talking. "Can I come in?"

Barbara shrugged and stepped aside.

"Sure. Just keep it down, will you?"

As soon as he entered, she closed the door behind him, making sure to be as silent as possible. He was about to ask why they were being so quiet when he saw a mass of comforters on the couch. Stepping closer, he realized that the mass had not only one, but two girls curled under it.

"Ivy e Selina?" Jim asked, so surprised that his voice almost disappeared.

"Shh!" Barbara protested, even if he wasn't loud, taking him by his shirt and leading him to the other room. They sat by the table in a hurry. "Do you know how hard it is for them to actually fall asleep?"

Jim was so shocked, his jaw had dropped, his finger pointing at the girls in awe.

"Selina was breaking in." he stated dumbly and Barbara nodded.

"They were both here when I came back. Turns out that Ivy was sick and Selina brought her here so she could get better instead of dying on the streets."

"And you let them stay."

"For as long as they want to, yes."

At each passing second Jim was getting more confused.

" _Why_?"

That seemed to be the wrong question, because suddenly Barbara seemed really mad, she even put her glass down. It wasn't that he didn't trust her decisions or didn't think that the girls deserved some place nice to stay, it was just that they were criminals and unpredictable and he didn't know how much good Barbara could do for them.

"Because" she answered "they are two pretty teenage girls with no family and no home living on the streets of Gotham." Her tone was as if it was the most obvious thing. "Now you're GCPD, Jim, tell me what happen to pretty teen girls on the streets."

He leaned back on the chair, knowing that she had risen a key point. Barbara wasn't finished yet.

"Do you know them?  _Really_  know them?" she didn't wait for his answer. "The other day I caught Ivy watching an educative program about chemistry and the observations that tiny mice made were brilliant. She cares a notebook and an herbarium around taking notes and she knows so much about plants. I told her that I have a contact at the gardens who would love to have her around if she wanted to learn more. And I think she does. Selina… she's street's smart, but she also's got a sharp mind. The way she talks, she already is a pro. She is capable of talking anyone out of their shit and she's just so clever, you can't even pick up."

Barbara paused, noticing that she was talking no stop. The girls fascinated her and she hadn't felt that excited in a long time. It was easy to see it and Jim felt warmer already with her good humor.

"You see," she continued "I know them. I told them they can leave whenever they feel like and that they could always come back, I wouldn't lock them outside. But I also told them that they make me better and that I feel like I can really help them, if they are willing to let me. I mean, Ivy's got real potential to change the world and Selina, with that face and brain of hers… you just know they will be successful, with the right push. Sure I don't hold high expectations for me, I know they will ditch as soon as they see they don't need me anymore, but this moment, right here, is critical, Jim. Ivy just turned 13, Selina is on the verge of 15. They can't live on the streets. Please don't take them from me."

She said the last part so quietly that Jim wasn't even sure that was what she said. His eyes were focused on the other room, where the two girls were sleeping curled in one another and then he looked at Barbara, so different and worried.

"I won't." He assumed and she nodded, as if she wasn't expecting anything less.

The silence that followed didn't last much, for as she fished her glass of wine from the table, she remembered why he was there.

"You said we needed to talk?"

A little confused, Jim looked at her again and shook his head, everything seemed pretty idiot at that moment.

"I just wanted to know if you were alright, see with my own eyes how you doing."

Barbara smiled.

"And…?" she teased. For the first time, Jim smiled.

"They are taking good care of you."

Her smile widened. She agreed.


End file.
